Clasp-brake mechanism.



C. H. WILLIAMS.

CLASP BRAKE MECHANISM. APPLICAHON min MAR. 19. 1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Patented Feb. 5, 1918.

11555 llll 51144;

In i a w mow o I 5 a a f i Q w 5 C. H. WlLUAMS.

CLASP BRAKE MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 19 I911.

1,255,372. Patented Feb. 5, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SKEET 2.

lZ/emar 6/14/2765 MW/ama C. H. WILLIAMS.

CLASP BRAKE MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 19. m7.

Patented Feb. 5, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

f C Ha/2165 WM/fams C. H. WILLIAMS.

CLASP BRAKE MECHANISM.

APPLICATION mm MAR. 19. m1.

Patented Feb. 5,1918.

4 SHEETS-suit 4 111111 M111111111 Nw W11111 W/1111111 u w 412? k. W14? mm UNITED STETAT PATENT OFFIGE.

CI-IARLES HAINES WILLIAMS, i333 illI-il-ICAGG, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 CHICAGO RAILWfiY EQUIPMENT COMYAfiY, QFQEIGAGG, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATIOH OF ILLINOIS.

CLASP-BRAKE MECHANISM.

To all whomit may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES .llAlNES WILLIAMs, a citizen of the United States, re siding at the city of Lil'licngo cruelty of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented s. certain new and usoiful improvement: in Clasp-Brake Meehunism, of which the {ollowing is a full. clear, and exact description, such as will enuhle ushers skilled in ll url; to which it appertains to make and use the same reference being had to the cconipunying drawings, forming pert of this specificetion.

This invenlion relates broadly to railway rolling stock, and specifically to certain improvements in. brake rigging for reilwuy trucks. It is designed particularly for our ployrnent in rigging of the clasp lirake type.

The broad object of my invention is to provide a rigging of the clamp brake type which may he applied to trucks of prc ent, approved design and size without requi lug; alterations in the structure of the in -k itself, it being my purpose to supply 3 rigging which may be insliulled in existing trucks by means of few simple attachments and connections which may be made eonveniently to conventional portions of the truck structure.

In more detailed aspects, it is my object to provide a brake igging having the attributes above described and including means for properly guiding the hrekc beam in the application of the brakes for assisting in the throw-off or removal of the shoes from the Wheels upon the release of the brakes, and for providing a safety support adapted to retain the beam against falling in case of its detachment from other connections.

Other and further objects will he obvious or pointed out hereinuitcn reference being bad to the accompanying drawings in which an illustrative embodiment is shown sud in which Figure 1 represents longitudinal section of a. truck showing the brake rigging in elevation;

Fig. 2 is a partial plan view showing onc fourth of the truck;

Fig. 3 is a detail showing a top view of one-half of the brake locum; and

Figs. 4 to 17 inclusive are details sho ing modified forms of brake beam supports.

Referring to these drawings in deteih it Specification of letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 5, 1918 191?. STi2ll No. 155,?54.

is to be understood that I may employ any suitable form of truck, the one shown having :1, east frame made up of the wheel pieces 1, end pieces transom members l,

and wheel quurds 5. it is lo he uxnlcrstoml that the Wheel pieces 1 are fur iished with the customary pedestal jaws which embrace suitable journal l'woxcs in which the journals of the wheels 6 are carried. Associated with the wheels are brake beams which include the lie-mu members J provided at their 'ex- {'Gll'lltlBS with suitable trunnions 10 on which the brake heads 11 are mounted. The brake heads carry shoes 12 which are disposed for cooperation with the trends of the associated Wheels. Adjacent the heads the beams are equipped with forwardly extending arms 14 to which are attached the hruhe ierers' 15. The two brake levers l5 associated with each whee] are coupled by e couple rod 16. and the adjacent brake levers ussociuted with different Wheels are connected by a pull rod 17. The brake lever at one end of the truck is connected to a brake rod. 18 and the brake lever at the other cud of the truck is connected by a link 19 to a luucket 20 which may be attached to a eonvenient portion of the truck frame by fustenings '21. The means for supporting the brake rigging on the truelt includes in the first place, hangers 22, one of which is pivotally connected to each of the brake heads 11 at its lower extremity, and to a, portion of the truck frame atits up er extremit the latter connection prefer-ab y bein made in the customary hanger bracket W iich is cast on a portion of the wheel piece or transom mem er. The support rovided by the hangers 22 is supplenlente by an attachment which includes supporting memhers 24 which are supported on a truck portion and associated with the brake beam through the instrumentality of bearing members 25. These bearing members are connected to the beam member 9 adjacent the arms ii and find support upon portions of the associated supporting members 24 In the form shown in Fig. 1 the supporting member is in the form of a resilient or elastic strip connected at its upper extremity to a transverse member of the truck frame and having its depending portion curved to provide a, portion. which yields to proper pressure, and ha?- ing its lower extremity deflected horizontally then upwardly to provide a. hook-like 24" and the forward extremity of the bearing member 25.

In the modification illustrated in Fig. 5,

the supporting member 24- is in the form of a rigid bar attached at its upper end to a truck portion and deflected downwardly in front of the beam member and rearwardly thereunder to provide a bearing and support for the bearing member 25, and the yielding pressure portion 24 is interposed between the depending portion of the member 24 and the forward portion of the bear ing member 25. The connection may be made also in a variety of other ways, such as that illustrated in Fig. 7, in which the bearing member 25 has an overhead support by means of the link 27 which is attached at its upper end to a flexible member 28 mounted on a truck portion.

I11 the modification illustrated in Fi 8, the bearing member 25 is supported .rom below by an oscillatory link .29 supported at its lower extremity on the supporting member 2%.

In the modifications illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10, the supporting member 2! is shown mounted on the spring plank I which forms a portion of the customary truck structure, and extends forwardly therefrom below the brake beam to provide a safety support and a bearing for the bearing member 25, the yielding pressure means 2 being interposed to ermit the movement of the beam and to assist in the throw-off of the brakes in the manner above described.

In the operation of the device, the actuation of the brake rod 18 serves to transmit the braking power to the brake beams through the lovers 15, rods 16 and 17 and arms 14, to effect the application of the brakes to the wheels. In this operation, the brake beams are guided into the proper cooperation with the treads of the wheels so as to make the proper surface contact therewith, by the supporting arrangement just described.

In the form illustrated in Fi 1, the flexion of the member 24 gives t e beam the proper movement to bring the face of the brake shoe into concentric relationship with the wheel, while in the forms illustrated in Figs. 4, 5, 6, 9 and 10, the inclined portions upon which the bearing members 25 ride serve the beams with the proper guidance.

engagement with the wheels.

In the forms illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8, the pivotal relationship of the links 27 and 29 afford the beam the proper guidance.

The elasticity of the member 24 shown in Fig. 1, and of the yielding pressure means 24 shown in Figs. 4 to 10, supplies means for assisting in the throw-off of the brakes when the power is removed. It is the natural tendency of these yielding pressure portions to hold the brake beam in its retracted position so that the brake shoes are out of Upon application of the brakes, the movement of the beams toward the wheels places the yielding pressure means under tension or compression so that, at the subsequent removal of the power, the yielding pressure means will react to assist in the throw-off of the brakes from the wheels.

In Figs. 11 to 15 inclusive, I have shown a variety of other modifications in which an overhead third or fourth point support is employed, while in Figs. 16 and 17, I have shown modifications which may be used with either form of third or fourth point sup port, and which show novel arrangements of the throw-oft springs and safety support members.

It is believed that the construction and operation of all of these modified forms will be obvious from the foregoing description of the other forms.

By virtue of this construction, it will be observed, a truck not specially designed for this rigging may be quickly and cheaply equipped therewith, the only additional con nections required being those for the brackets 20 and the supporting members 24, and which connections may be made with any convenient portion of the truck frame by very simple operations. These connections, together with the connections of the hangers 22, which are common practice, form the entire support for the brake rigging, so that the same may be operated without loss by friction on power transmitting portions. If desired, guide brackets 6 may be arranged to retain portions of the rigging against side movement, said brackets being easily attachable to the wheel guards. In addition to permitting the installation of this rigging, as above described, my invention provides a safety device adapted to retain the beam against falling in case of its detachment from hangers 22 or levers 1.5, and it also provides a guide and throw-off me'chanism for controlling movements of the beam in the braking operations.

I am aware that embodiments of my invention may be made differing in numerous particulars from those herein disclosed without departing from the intended scope of the app ded claims.

\Vhat claim as my invention is:

1. In a brake rigging, the combination of a beam member, brake heads carried adjacent the extremities thereof, suspension members for movably connecting the heads to truck portions, bearing members mounted on the beam intermediate the heads, supporting members carried by truck portions and associated with the bearing members in front of the beam to afford guides and points of support for the beam, and power transmitting devices supported by the beam at points intermediate the heads and the bearing members.

2. In a brake rigging, the combination of a beam, brake heads carried adjacent the ext-remities thereof, suspension members for operativebl; connecting the heads with truck portions, caring members carried by the sum intermediate the heads, supporting members associated with the truck and the bearing members to provide supports and guides for the beam in front of the suspension members, yielding pressure means associated with the supporting members to urge the beam to inoperative position, and power transmitting devices having operative association with the beam intermediate the heads and the bearing members.

3. In a brake rigging, the combination of a beam member, brake heads carried adjacent its extremities, power transmittin devices operatively associated with the eam adjacent the heads, suspension members for operably connecting the heads to truck portions, and supporting members sustained by a truck portion and movably associated with the beam, one of said supporting mem bers having connection with the beam adja cent each of the power transmitting members to provide guldes and points of sup ort for the beam in front of the points 0 attachment of the suspension members.

4. In a brake rigging, the combination of a beam member, brake heads carried adjacent the extremities thereof, suspension members for operably connecting the heads to truck portions, power transmitting members operably associated with the beam member adjacent the heads, and elastic members having support upon truck portions and operably associated with the beam memher to provide a flexible support therefor at points adjacent the power transmitting members and in front of the oints of connection of the suspension mem ers.

5. In a brake rig 'n the combination of a beam member, bra e eads su ported adjacent the extremities thereof suspension members for operably connecting the heads to truck portions, power transmitting members operably associated with the beam adjacent the heads, supporting members associated with truck portions and with the beam at points intermediate and adjacent the power transmitting members, and yielding pressure means associated with said supporting members and the beam for urging the latter to inoperative position.

11 testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses, this 12th day of March, 1917.

CHARLES HAINES WILLIAMS. Witnesses:

EDWIN G. Buses, EDWARD T. WALKER. 

